Hooded Crow

The Hooded Crow replaces the Carrion Crow across much of northern, eastern, and parts of southern Europe, and the two species were once considered a single species due to their close relationship and occasional interbreeding along contact zones.

Unlike its all-black relative, the Hooded Crow shows a striking two-tone plumage that makes it one of the easiest corvids in its range to identify from a distance or from a single feather.

A feather from the grey body areas of a Hooded Crow is unmistakable among European corvids, while feathers from the black head, wings, or tail closely resemble those of a Carrion Crow.

Grey body feathers

• Feathers from the back, breast, and belly are pale ash-grey, a color found in no other common European corvid.
• These grey feathers are diagnostic for Hooded Crow whenever found.

Black feathers

• Head, throat, wing, and tail feathers are glossy black with the same blue-purple sheen as a Carrion Crow, and are not separable from that species by color alone.

Size and shape

• Similar in size and shape to Carrion Crow feathers, with broad, rounded flight feather tips.

Confusion species

Only the grey body feathers reliably separate this species from Carrion Crow; black feathers from the head, wing, or tail require habitat and range context to assign with confidence.

Adult Hooded Crows have a black head, throat, wings, and tail contrasting with pale grey plumage on the back, breast, and belly. Males and females look alike.

Juveniles show a similar pattern but with duller, browner-grey body plumage that sharpens with maturity after the first full molt.

Hooded Crows molt completely after the breeding season, typically in summer.

Hooded Crows occupy open farmland, coastal areas, moorland, and towns across their range, which includes northern Europe (including Scotland and Scandinavia), much of eastern Europe, and parts of the Middle East.

The species is largely resident, though northern populations may move short distances in harsh winters. Where its range meets that of the Carrion Crow, a narrow hybrid zone exists.

Hooded Crows are omnivorous, feeding on invertebrates, small vertebrates, carrion, grain, and human food scraps, foraging much like the Carrion Crow. They are usually seen alone, in pairs, or small groups.

Their call closely resembles the harsh 'kraa' of the Carrion Crow. They build a similar stick nest in trees or, in treeless areas, on cliffs or structures.

Finding a grey body feather alongside black wing or tail feathers in the same location is a strong sign of Hooded Crow, especially within its northern and eastern European range.